Why choose an indoor versus outdoor wedding when you can have the best of both worlds? That's exactly what this couple did for their California destination wedding. The ceremony took place in Wayfarers Chapel, an all-glass sanctuary surrounded by towering trees and lush gardens, and the reception at La Venta Inn, a gorgeous Spanish estate where the doors to the main dance area were open to the fresh air and guests were treated to an outdoor bar. Ryon:Lockhart Photography captured all the natural beauty – you can see it right here.

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From the Bride and Groom... Ryan and I knew we always wanted somewhat of a “destination” wedding near the beautiful Pacific Coast, but the thought of planning such an event from our home base of Chicago seemed daunting. Despite this, we went to sunny California and were lucky enough to stumble upon two amazing locations: Wayfarers Chapel and La Venta Inn, both of which had our hearts instantly. After seeing Wayfarers Chapel, which shimmers in the sun on the top of one of the many rolling hills in Rancho Palos Verdes and overlooks the Pacific Ocean, we knew immediately this was the ideal location. As we worked with the chapel staff on details for the big day, everything was seamless, and the chapel met each and every one of our expectations.

For the reception, we were lucky enough to be referred to La Venta Inn, which is a lovely Spanish house with lush gardens that provides beautiful panoramic views of the South Bay and all of LA. It was the perfect setting for a part indoor part al fresco reception that blew away our guests. With the blazing fireplace and open doors in the main dance area, the amazing outdoor bar, and the overall intimacy of the space, we have continued to hear non-stop compliments from all of our friends and family in attendance.

To top it off, the local staff – from the wedding planner to the bar and serving staff – were phenomenal and truly helped our dream wedding come true. Planning from afar was seamless as we had the most amazing vendors; we couldn’t have been luckier to find the vendors we did! Ryon:Lockhart Photography not only gave us fantastic results but also was an absolute pleasure to work with, and Holly Flora put together an amazing flower design to cover our tables from end to end.

As we continue to reminisce about our wedding, we can truly say that it was the best day of our lives. We'd like to say thanks to our venues and vendors; there isn’t a single thing we would change, and we couldn’t have been happier with those that helped bring everything together.